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U.S. extends ‘net neutrality’ comment period to Sept. 15

NET NEUTRALITY: The FCC has received more than 1 million comments already on new rules for how Internet services providers should be allowed to manage web traffic on their networks. Photo: clipart.com

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Friday said it would accept public comments on its proposed new “net neutrality” rules through Sept. 15, giving Americans extra time to weigh in on how they think Internet traffic should be regulated.

The FCC has received more than 1 million comments already on new rules for how Internet services providers should be allowed to manage web traffic on their networks.

The FCC had set a deadline of July 15 for the initial comments and then September 10 for replies to those initial comments. However, the surge in submissions overwhelmed the FCC’s website and the agency had delayed the first deadline by three business days.

“To ensure that members of the public have as much time as was initially anticipated to reply to initial comments in these proceedings, the Bureau today is extending the reply comment deadline by three business days,” the FCC said on Friday, delaying the final deadline for comments to September 15.